خُذْها فقَدْ وَضَحَ الصّباحُ ولاحَا

خُذْها فقَدْ وَضَحَ الصّباحُ ولاحَا

والرّوْضُ يُهْدي عَرْفَهُ النَّفّاحا

والرّوْضُ يُهْدي عَرْفَهُ النَّفّاحا

Take it—for dawn has broken clear and gleamed.

Take it, for morning has grown clear and shone forth,

The garden offers up its wafting fragrance.

And the garden offers its far-wafting fragrance.

مازالَ يكْتُمُ منْ حَديثِ نَسيمِهِ

مازالَ يكْتُمُ منْ حَديثِ نَسيمِهِ

والآنَ أمْكَنَهُ الحَديثُ فَباحا

والآنَ أمْكَنَهُ الحَديثُ فَباحا

Long had it concealed the tale its breeze would tell,

It had kept concealing something of its breeze's tale,

but now it can speak, and has disclosed it.

And now it can speak, so it has spoken openly.

لمّا رأى جيْشَ الصّباحِ مُشَمِّراً

لمّا رأى جيْشَ الصّباحِ مُشَمِّراً

عَمّتْ مَضارِبُهُ رُبىً وبِطاحا

عَمّتْ مَضارِبُهُ رُبىً وبِطاحا

When it saw the army of dawn girded for battle,

When it saw morning's army girded for action,

its battlefields spreading over hills and lowlands.

Its tents covering hills and broad plains,

والأفْقُ يرْفَعُ منْهُ بَنْداً مُذْهَباً

والأفْقُ يرْفَعُ منْهُ بَنْداً مُذْهَباً

ويَسُلُّ منْ بِيضِ البُروقِ صِفاحا

ويَسُلُّ منْ بِيضِ البُروقِ صِفاحا

The horizon raises above it a gilded standard,

And the horizon raising a gilded banner from it,

and draws sword-blades from the white lightning.

And drawing broad blades from the white flashes of lightning,

سَلَّ الجَداوِلَ أنْصُلاً مَصْقولَةً

سَلَّ الجَداوِلَ أنْصُلاً مَصْقولَةً

تَبْدو وهَزّ منَ الغُصونِ رِماحا

تَبْدو وهَزّ منَ الغُصونِ رِماحا

It unsheathes the streams as polished blades,

It unsheathed the streams as polished sword-blades,

while the boughs quiver as spears.

Gleaming, and brandished spears of branches.

والزُّهْرُ تَسْقُطُ للغُروبِ كما ذَوى

والزُّهْرُ تَسْقُطُ للغُروبِ كما ذَوى

زَهْرُ الرِّياضِ وفارَقَ الأدْواحا

زَهْرُ الرِّياضِ وفارَقَ الأدْواحا

The radiant stars sink toward setting, as though

And the bright stars sink toward setting, like withered

the garden’s blossoms had withered and left the trees.

Garden blossoms that have parted from the great trees.

والطّيْرُ يَدْعو للصَّبوحِ مُكَرِّراً

والطّيْرُ يَدْعو للصَّبوحِ مُكَرِّراً

فَتراهُ قدْ نَفَضَ الجَناحَ وصاحا

فَتراهُ قدْ نَفَضَ الجَناحَ وصاحا

The bird repeats its call for the morning draught;

And the birds repeatedly call for the morning draught,

you see it shake out its wings and cry aloud.

So you see them shaking their wings and crying out.

فكأنّما الظّلْماءُ طِرْفٌ أدْهَمٌ

فكأنّما الظّلْماءُ طِرْفٌ أدْهَمٌ

أخذَ العِنانَ فَما يُفيقُ جِماحا

أخذَ العِنانَ فَما يُفيقُ جِماحا

Darkness seems a black, high-mettled steed

Thus darkness seems a jet-black steed,

that has seized the reins and will not check its charge.

That seized the reins and never ceases its headlong flight.

لا تُوقِدِ المِصْباحَ واعْلَمْ أنّ لي

لا تُوقِدِ المِصْباحَ واعْلَمْ أنّ لي

منْ وَجْهِ مَنْ أحْبَبْتُهُ مِصْباحا

منْ وَجْهِ مَنْ أحْبَبْتُهُ مِصْباحا

Do not light the lamp; know that I possess

Do not light the lamp; know that I have

a lamp in the face of the one I love.

A lamp in the face of the one I love.

حُثَّ الكؤوسَ وهاتِنيها قَهْوَةً

حُثَّ الكؤوسَ وهاتِنيها قَهْوَةً

تَنْفي الهُمومَ وتَجْلِبُ الأفْراحا

تَنْفي الهُمومَ وتَجْلِبُ الأفْراحا

Pass round the cups, and bring me wine

Hasten the cups, and bring me wine,

that drives care away and brings delight,

That banishes cares and brings joys,

منْ كَفِّ فاتِنَةِ اللِّحاظِ غَريرةٍ

منْ كَفِّ فاتِنَةِ اللِّحاظِ غَريرةٍ

سَكْرى الجُفونِ وما سُقينَ الرّاحا

سَكْرى الجُفونِ وما سُقينَ الرّاحا

from the hand of a guileless beauty with bewitching glances,

From the hand of a guileless woman with bewitching glances,

whose eyelids are drunk, though no wine has been poured for them.

Her eyelids drunk, though they have been given no wine.

هيَ روضةٌ تَجْنيكَ بينَ لِثاتِها

هيَ روضةٌ تَجْنيكَ بينَ لِثاتِها

خَمْراً ومنْ وَجَناتِها تُفّاحا

خَمْراً ومنْ وَجَناتِها تُفّاحا

She is a garden: from between her gums one gathers

She is a garden that yields you, between her gums,

wine, and from her cheeks, apples.

Wine, and from her cheeks, apples.

فإذا اعتَنَقْتَ أوِ ارْتَشَفْتَ فإنّما

فإذا اعتَنَقْتَ أوِ ارْتَشَفْتَ فإنّما

عانَفْتَ غُصْناً وارْتَشَفْتَ أقاحا

عانَفْتَ غُصْناً وارْتَشَفْتَ أقاحا

If you embrace her or sip from her, it is as though

So when you embrace or sip, you have only

you embraced a bough and sipped a daisy’s bloom.

Handled a branch roughly and sipped daisies.

وامْزُجْ بصِرْفِ الرّاحِ عَذْبَ رُضابِها

وامْزُجْ بصِرْفِ الرّاحِ عَذْبَ رُضابِها

ما ضرّ أنْ خَلَفَ الحَرامُ مُباحا

ما ضرّ أنْ خَلَفَ الحَرامُ مُباحا

Mix the sweetness of her saliva with the forbidden wine—

And mix her sweet saliva with undiluted wine;

what harm, if the forbidden is followed by the permitted?

What harm if the forbidden replaces the permitted?

قامَتْ تَقولُ وفي فُتورِ جُفونِها

قامَتْ تَقولُ وفي فُتورِ جُفونِها

سِنَةُ الكَرى مَوْلايَ عِمْتَ صَباحا

سِنَةُ الكَرى مَوْلايَ عِمْتَ صَباحا

She rose to speak, languor filling her eyelids,

She rose and spoke, while in her languid eyelids

drowsy with sleep: “My lord, may your morning be blessed.”

Lay sleep's drowsiness: 'My lord, good morning!'

واسْتَنْطَقَتْ عُوداً بمِدْحَةِ يُوسُفٍ

واسْتَنْطَقَتْ عُوداً بمِدْحَةِ يُوسُفٍ

مَوْلَى الوَرى شَمَلَ الوُوجودَ سَماحا

مَوْلَى الوَرى شَمَلَ الوُوجودَ سَماحا

She coaxed the lute to sing a eulogy of Yusuf,

And she made a lute speak in praise of Yusuf,

lord of humankind, whose generosity encompassed all existence.

Lord of humankind, whose generosity embraced all existence.

فسَرَى السّرورُ بِنا الى أنْ لمْ نُطِقْ

فسَرَى السّرورُ بِنا الى أنْ لمْ نُطِقْ

صَبْراً وكِدْنا نَبْذُلُ الأرْواحا

صَبْراً وكِدْنا نَبْذُلُ الأرْواحا

Joy coursed through us until we could no longer

Then joy coursed through us until we could no longer remain

endure, and nearly gave up our very souls.

Patient, and nearly surrendered our souls.

رَبُّ الأيادِي البِيضِ مَنْ بثَنائِهِ

رَبُّ الأيادِي البِيضِ مَنْ بثَنائِهِ

زانَ القَريضَ وعَطّرَ الأمْداحا

زانَ القَريضَ وعَطّرَ الأمْداحا

Lord of shining benefactions—through praise of him

Lord of shining benefactions, whose praise

verse was adorned and panegyrics perfumed.

Adorned poetry and perfumed panegyrics.

ذُو هِمّةٍ عَلْياءَ مَدّ المُشْتَري

ذُو هِمّةٍ عَلْياءَ مَدّ المُشْتَري

طَرْفاً الى غاياتِها طَمّاحا

طَرْفاً الى غاياتِها طَمّاحا

His is an ambition that, across Jupiter’s reach, has fixed

Possessed of lofty ambition: Jupiter stretched

an aspiring gaze upon its utmost goals.

A soaring gaze toward its utmost heights.

يُزْجِي منَ النّقْعِ المُثارِ سَحائِاً

يُزْجِي منَ النّقْعِ المُثارِ سَحائِاً

رَكِبَتْ منَ العَزْمِ الشّديدِ رِياحا

رَكِبَتْ منَ العَزْمِ الشّديدِ رِياحا

He drives clouds of billowing dust,

He drives onward clouds of stirred-up battle dust,

riding upon winds of unyielding resolve.

Riding the winds of mighty resolve.

ويُزِيرُها أرْضَ العَدوِّ صَوافِنا

ويُزِيرُها أرْضَ العَدوِّ صَوافِنا

تَخْتالُ زَهْواً في الوَغى ومَراحا

تَخْتالُ زَهْواً في الوَغى ومَراحا

He drives them through the enemy’s land on poised steeds,

And sends them to the enemy's land as poised steeds,

which strut proudly and exultantly through battle.

Strutting proudly in battle and high spirits.

تَنْمِيهِ منْ أبْناءِ نَصْرٍ سادَةٌ

تَنْمِيهِ منْ أبْناءِ نَصْرٍ سادَةٌ

سَنّوا الهُدَى والعَدْلَ والإصْلاحا

سَنّوا الهُدَى والعَدْلَ والإصْلاحا

Noble lords among the sons of Nasr trace his lineage;

His lineage goes back to lords among the sons of Nasr,

they established guidance, justice, and reform.

Who established guidance, justice, and reform.

إنْ أغْلَقَتْ أبْوابَها أيْدي العِدَى

إنْ أغْلَقَتْ أبْوابَها أيْدي العِدَى

جَعَلَ الإلهُ سيوفضهُمْ مِفْتاحا

جَعَلَ الإلهُ سيوفضهُمْ مِفْتاحا

If hostile hands should close its gates,

If enemy hands closed its gates,

God has made their swords its key.

God made their swords a key.

يا واحِدَ المَجْدِ الذي آثارُهُ

يا واحِدَ المَجْدِ الذي آثارُهُ

تَرْوي حِساناً في الزّمانِ صِحاحا

تَرْوي حِساناً في الزّمانِ صِحاحا

O peerless one in glory, whose traces

O peerless one in glory, whose deeds

time relates as both fair and sound.

Tell through time tales both beautiful and true.

أنْسَيْتَنا بحُسامِكَ الماضي الظُّبى

أنْسَيْتَنا بحُسامِكَ الماضي الظُّبى

ولوائكَ المَنْصورَ والسّفّاحا

ولوائكَ المَنْصورَ والسّفّاحا

With your keen sword you made us forget every other blade,

You made us forget, through your keen-edged sword

and, through your banner, al-Mansur and al-Saffah as well.

And your banner, al-Mansur and al-Saffah.

لازالَ مُلْكُكَ سامِياً في عِزّةٍ

لازالَ مُلْكُكَ سامِياً في عِزّةٍ

تَسْتَصْحِبُ الإمْساءَ والإصْباحا

تَسْتَصْحِبُ الإمْساءَ والإصْباحا

May your reign remain exalted in might,

May your dominion ever remain exalted in might,

keeping evening and morning as companions,

Accompanying evening and morning,

ما غَرّدَتْ وَرْقاءُ فوقَ أراكَةٍ

ما غَرّدَتْ وَرْقاءُ فوقَ أراكَةٍ

تَبْكي الهَديلَ وما صَباحٌ لاحا

تَبْكي الهَديلَ وما صَباحٌ لاحا

as long as a ringdove sings above an arak tree,

As long as a gray dove coos above an arak tree,

weeping in its coo whenever dawn appears.

Weeping for al-Hadil, and as long as morning shines forth.